Related Items

Local Real Estate

Cars For Sale

NEW Zealanders believe technology is saving them time but more than a quarter feel busier now than five years ago, a survey says.

More than 2200 people were asked about their lives and technology in a survey conducted by HorizonPoll on behalf of Visa PayWave.

It found the top two things people would like to do if they had more time were to spend more time with friends and family (33.1 per cent) or focus on hobbies and social activities (31.2).

"Me time" was lower at 16 per cent, but as time-saving from technology increased, so did the preference to exercise and keep healthy.

The survey found that those who reported saving the most time from technology - 9.2 per cent said more than 15 hours a week - were more likely to be busier.

Professor Paul Spoonley of Massey University's College of Humanities and Social Sciences said this indicated demands on our time were increasing, despite our ability to complete tasks faster.

"Technology saves time on many tasks but it also creates new tasks, and many feel that they need to check something online or to answer a text. It feels busy."

Social media commentator Simon Young said: "Technology has automated a lot of things for us, but it still requires our attention. And that's what is keeping us busy."

Mr Young, director of Syengage, said it was very rare to genuinely have nothing to do. All the moments that used to be idle - in waiting rooms, at bus stops, in hotel lobbies - could now be filled by activities such as checking social media or emails.

"So the irony is, the technology we employed to give us more time has ended up taking more of our time."

Anitra Nieuwelaar says technology saves her a day's worth of time a week, but she is still busier than she was five years ago.

The 23-year-old University of Auckland student counts her iPhone as her most important gadget.

"It makes it so much easier to keep up with things ..."

As well as being able to text, email and call easily at any time with her smartphone, she also saves time by using the internet to watch television shows without advertisements. Miss Nieuwelaar doesn't watch regular television.

"But most relevant to me is internet shopping. I can go online and just order anything I want then and there without having to go out. Technology offers a means of doing anything more quickly," she said.

She puts her busier life down to increased responsibilities that come with growing older.